Fence Technology Along the Southern U.S. Border: Map

The Secure Fence Act (2006) instructed the Department of Homeland Security to protect 700 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. A patchwork of physical barriers and virtual fences were meant to guard some of the areas, but the work was suspended after testing several pilot projects. Here are some of the ways the U.S. attempts to regulate its southern frontier.

Picket Fencing

It's designed primarily to soften the symbolic and visual impact of a barrier on both sides of the border. The Secure Fence Act calls for 130 miles of this 18-foot-high metal pedestrian fencing to be built in Texas, mostly near urban areas and international bridges.